God will not abandon the work of His hands

During the mundane weeks when my days are simply filled with going to work, cooking dinner and checking facebook, I find myself wondering if I am really following God’s purpose for my life. Advent brings to sharp focus the arc of God’s plan in history, but what does that mean for my simple day-to-day?

Over the summer I found a verse from the psalms which has stuck with me and reminded me that even in the mundane, God is at work. Psalm 138:8 says, “The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your love, O LORD, endures forever—do not abandon the works of your hands.”
I often don’t feel like I am doing anything noteworthy, much less noteworthy for God’s Kingdom . . . but God’s love endures forever, and that good work that He started, He is not going to cast it away.


I wonder if Mary felt the same pull at her soul though . . . a desire to honor the Lord and live a life pleasing to Him, but at the same time feeling trapped by the mundane day-to-day survival. Throughout history and throughout Scripture we see that God is a God with His own standards. He did not choose Mary to be the mother of the Savior for her status in society, her talents, or even her friends (although her family line had something to do with it). The Master of the Universe chose a simple girl from Nazareth because her heart was open to her Heavenly Father’s will.

As much as I would love to claim this same humility, this past week I have found myself lacking Mary’s mindset. Instead of fearing God, I find myself caught up in the fear of man, and seeking to push ahead by my own strength. What folly! If God can breathe the galaxies into existence (Genesis 1), and the Holy Spirit can grow a child in Mary’s womb, then why do I fear? What do I have to feel anxious about?


I want to be like those shepherds out in the fields of Bethlehem. I want to be surprised by the Joy of my Savior’s birth. I want to run without abandon to see His precious face. I want to know and remember deep in my soul that God became human for me. Since the beginning of time, God will not abandon the work of His hand. And with the angel choruses I say, “Amen!”